What Is Uber’s “Code on the Road?”

Some of you may have already noticed that Uber now features a mini-video game called Code on the Road in certain geographic areas, according to Business Insider. As the report notes, after a rider is offered the game, they can choose to ignore it or play.

If they accept the challenge, the player will be asked to answer three coding issues within sixty seconds. If the rider answers correctly, he or she is then given the option to get in touch with Uber about possible job opportunities. It’s unknown whether Uber reaches out to the individuals on its own.

Yes, the new mini-video game offered by Uber is really a recruitment tool for engineers!

A Microsoft engineer was reportedly offered to play the game while riding in a car in Seattle, but Uber told Business Insider it’s not targeting specific individuals. The company did, however, say it’s showing the game in areas where it may be more likely to “reach potential candidates.”

“If you’re in a place where a lot of people work in tech, you may see our ‘Code on the Road’ challenge within the rider app,” a company spokesperson told Business Insider.

Several Twitter users have also reported seeing the game. As of this writing, the game is available to riders in cities on both coasts, including Seattle and Boston. Business Insider says that it’s also being offered in Denver and Austin, Texas, among other areas.

Uber, which is available in nearly 500 cities around the world, has been working to fend off competition from its chief rival, Lyft. The company is also working to expand its business in areas where local taxi consortiums aren’t so interested in it joining the marketplace, and to combat trouble with alleged sexual misconduct by some of its drivers. Indeed, safety and overcoming regulatory hurdles have become core components in Uber’s business over the last year.

Still, the company needs to find ways to improve its service, and as it expands around the world, it needs help, which is likely why it came up with its Code on the Road game.

What do you think about Uber’s new recruitment tactic? Brilliant or devious?